Rack construction for the storage of articles

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a rack construction assembly for the storage of articles. The rack construction comprises several base plates which are held one above the other by means of supporting elements to be assembled with the base plates. In the region of the junction points of base plates and supporting elements there are provided locking elements which lock in when the base plates are connected with the supporting elements, thus securing the single parts of the rack construction against unintentional disengagement. This rack construction can be assembled and disassembled quickly and without any tools and offers all-over access to pick up articles.

United States Patent 1191 Lang Sept. 10, 1974 [54] RACK CONSTRUCTION FOR IHE 5533,17; glalrklf g2 STORAGE 01 ARTICLES ,1 ,41 ui 0 0s 3,175,794 3/1965 Beene .L 248/188 [75] Inventor: Franz Josef Lang, Kelkheim, 3,236,389 2/1966 Murdock .L 248/188 X Germany 3,295,472 1/1967 Larson 108/156 X 3,361,402 1/1968 Cech 248/188 1 Asslgneei g g zfigzi ggi gfg fi $333 3,730,109 5/1973 Kreizel 108/156 1 gaumausstanung Kelkhe'm Primary ExaminerFrancis K. Zugel emany Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hans B'erman [22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1972 21 Appl.No.: 298,955 1 1 ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a rack construction assembly for the storage of articles. The rack con- [30] Forelgn Application Pnomy Data struction comprises several base plates which are held Oct. 27, 1971 Germany 2153603 one above the other means pp g elements 1 to be assembled with the base plates. In the region of [52] US. Cl 108/91, 108/111, the junction points of base plates and Supporting 51 I t Cl A47, 47/04 ments thereare provided locking elements which lock E d 111 156 in when the base plates are connected with the sup- 1 5 134 3 k 248/188 porting elements, thus securing the single parts of the rack construction against unintentional disengage- 56 R f d ment. This rack construction can be assembled and l 1 e erences l e disassembled quickly and without any tools and offers UNITED STATES PATENTS all-over access to pick up articles. 1,969,656 8/1934 Marlowe 108/91 X 8 Cl 4 D 2,485,172 10/1949 Shelton 24 /18 x rawmg lgures 3.834.324 SHEET 10F 2 PAIENTED SEPI 01914 RACK CONSTRUCTION FOR THE STORAGE OF ARTICLES This invention relates to a rack construction for the storage of articles, in particular for the display of goods in shops. This rack construction includes several equally shaped base plates stacked one above the other and several equally shaped supporting elements to be joined with said base plates, said supporting elements holding said base plates one above the other in the rack arrangement.

Thanks to their construction, such racks being in particular used in self-service shops and in whole-sale spots, offer a good view onto the goods stored on the base plates and the possibility to pick up goods from all sides. In known rack constructions of such type the base plates and the supporting elements keep together only due to gravity and due to the weight of the stored goods. When the rack construction is to be relocated or if anyone runs heavily into the rack construction there is the danger that one supporting element loosens from the base plate and the rack construction falls down into itself. Other known rack constructions are, when they are assembled, held together by mechanic means (e.g. by screws and nuts). It is a disadvantage that it is very tedious to assemble and disassemble these rack constructions. It is the object of this invention to form the supporting elements and the base plates in such manner to prevent unintentional disassemblage of supporting elements and base plates and to make possible quick assemblage or disassemblage of the rack construction without any auxiliary means.

In a rack construction according to this invention the afore-mentioned problems are solved by the features that each of said supporting elements includes on both ends projections projecting normally to the longitudinal direction, that each base'plate is provided on its upper side and on its lower side with receiving shafts, whereby the cross-sections of said receiving shafts correspond to the respective end section of said supporting elements, and that locking elements are provided on said projections and on one outer end wall of said receiving shaft respectively to lock into one another when a supporting element is joined with a base plate.

The advantages of the rack construction according to this invention are: When it is disassembled, the rack construction requires only a minimum of space and it can be assembled and disassembled very quickly and without any tools. Due to the locking elements there is obtained a stable construction which can easily be relocated as a whole and which offers a high loading capacity. Since all the base plates and supporting elements are equally shaped, the production cost are low. Another advantage of the rack construction according to this invention over bolted racks or wire-racks is the more pleasant appearance. The form and the material of the supporting elements may easily be chosen in such way that the view onto the base plates is hardly obstructed.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attending advantages of this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack construction having square-shaped base plates;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a corner section of a base plate and of an end portion of a supporting element arranged above the base plate;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line III-III in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of another embodiment of this invention corresponding to the section of FIG. 3.

The rack construction as illustrated in FIG. 1 has three levels formed by three identical base plates 1. Another base plate forms the upper end of the rack construction. The base plates have a square shape. Four equally shaped supporting elements 2 whose ends are inserted into receiving shafts or receptacles on the four corners of the top surface on the next lower base plate and on the bottom surface on the next higher base plate are arranged between two adjacent base plates 1. The supporting elements are L-shaped in horizontal section, made of plastic plate material of uniform thickness, and

so narrow that the view onto the articles stored on the base plates is only slightly obstructed and that the goods can easily be picked up. An improvement of good view can be achieved by making the supporting elements of translucent material.

The formation of a comer by a base plate 1 and the end portion of a supporting element 2 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The base plate 1 comprises a square plate 3 and an outer end wall 4 connected with or forming an integral part with plate 3; the outer end wall 4 is arranged perpendicularly with respect to plate 3 and has a vertical dimension of approximately 1 to 2 centimeters extending above and below plate 3. In the corners of the base plate 1 the thickness of outer end wall 4 is thinner by approximately half its size over a predetermined length. At each end of this thinned portion that is farthest away from the corner there are provided two recesses 7 of square-shaped cross-section in the outer wall 4, i.e., one recess above and the other recess below plate 3. In each corner of base plate 1 there is an inner end wall 5 which forms the second wall of the receiving shaft 6 which is open on both ends and in a direction away from the surface of the base plate 1. The inner end wall 5 consists of two shanks forming a right angle; these shanks are arranged in a distance from the outer end wall 4, which distance corresponds to the wall thickness of the supporting element. The length of both shanks corresponds approximately to half the length of the thinned portion of the outer end wall. The shaft or receptacle 6 is L-shaped in a plane parallel to the base plate 1, and the opposite faces of the walls 4, 5 which bound the receptacle therebetween are correspondingly shaped.

The supporting element 2 consists of plate material and has two longitudinal, rectangularly shaped wall or leg portions 8 which meet each other in a longitudinal edge of the element 2 at a right angle; the thickness of these wall portions 8 corresponds to the width of the receiving shaft 6. On each end of the supporting element, the width of the two wall portions is approximately doubled, thus forming two projections 9 in common planes with the leg portions 8respectively. The height of these projections 9 corresponds approximately to the height of the outer end wall 4, and the thickness corresponds approximately to half the thickness of the outer end wall. Wedge-shaped cams 10 are provided on the outer end of the projections 9 which extend beyond the inner wall 5; with their steep rear side these cams lock, when completely inserted into the receiving shaft, into the recesses 7 provided in said receiving shaft, thus preventing an unintentional disengagement of supporting element 2 and base plate 1.

The base plate and the supporting elements are made of resilient plastic material. They can easily be produced according to the die-casting method. It is suitable to make the supporting element of transparent material so that there is little obstruction of the view onto the displayed goods.

in another embodiment of this invention see sectional view of FIG. 4 the positions of the recesses and of the wedge-shaped cams are exchanged. The recesses 12 are provided in the projections 9 of the supporting elements 2, the cams 11 are provided on outer end wall 4. This second embodiment is easier to realize in production than the first mentioned.

In other embodiments the surface of the base plate may be round, rectangular or polygonal. if the surface forms e.g. a circle sector, then at the ends of a supporting element 2 the cross-section is formed with a corresponding curvature. The inner end wall 5 is then also correspondingly curved. In this case it is suitable to provide the supporting element 2 with two longitudinal ribs so as to prevent a movement of the supporting element in a direction parallel to the curvature, and to further improve the bending strength of the supporting element.

It is also possible to assemble base plates only with one supporting element; then the supporting element is arranged centrally or asymmetrically with respect to the base plate.

What is claimed is:

1. A rack assembly comprising:

a. a plurality of identical base plate members having each a top surface and a bottom surface,

1. each of said surfaces having four corners;

b. wall means on each of said surfaces in each of said corners defining a receptacle open in a direction away from the associated surface, said wall means including 1. an outer wall member of substantially L-shaped cross section in a plane parallel to said associated surface, and

2. an inner wall member of substantially L-shaped cross section in said plane, said wall members having respective, spacedly opposite faces bounding said receptacle therebetween;

c. a plurality of identical, elongated supporting membets,

1. each supporting member being of substantially L-shaped cross section, said cross section being defined by two angularly offset leg portions meeting in a longitudinal edge of said supporting member; (1. two transverse projections on each of the two longitudinal end portions of each supporting member,

1. said projections extending from respective leg portions of said L-shape away from said edge and being angularly offset from each other,

2. each of said receptacles being shaped for conformingly receiving one of said end portions and the projections thereon; and

e. cooperating locking means on each of said projections and on each outer wall member responsive to insertion of each end portion and of the projections thereon in said receptacles for preventing unintentional disengagement of the inserted end portion from said receptacles.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said face of said outer wall member is coextensive in said plane with each inserted end portion and with the two projections on said end portion, a part of each projection extending in said plane away from said edge beyond said face of said inner wall member, said part carrying the locking means associated with said projection.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said face of said outer wall member is formed with a recess therein, said recess being substantially L-shaped in said plane and constituting a portion of said receptacle, said recess being coextensive in said plane with the two projections on an inserted end portion and extending beyond said opposite face of the inner wall member in said plane in a direction away from said edge of the inserted end portion.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said outer wall member has an end face perpendicular to said plane and bounding said recess in said direction.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein a part of each projection received in said recess extends beyond said opposite face of the inner wall member in a direction away from said edge of the inserted end portion, and said part carries the locking means associated with said projection.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said part and said outer wall member have contiguously adjacent face portions in said recess, said locking means including a cam member on one face portion and a recess in the other face portion receiving said cam member in the operative condition of said locking means.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said part consists of resilient material.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said supporting members and said projections are of plate material, each projection and the associated leg portion extending in a common plane. 

1. A rack assembly comprising: a. a plurality of identical base plate members having each a top surface and a bottom surface,
 1. each of said surfaces having four corners; b. wall means on each of said surfaces in each of said corners defining a receptacle open in a direction away from the associated surface, said wall means including
 1. an outer wall member of substantially L-shaped cross section in a plane parallel to said associated surface, and
 2. an inner wall member of substantially L-shaped cross section in said plane, said wall members having respective, spacedly opposite faces bounding said receptacle therebetween; c. a plurality of identical, elongated supporting members,
 1. each supporting member being of substantially L-shaped cross section, said cross section being defined by two angularly offset leg portions meeting in a longitudinal edge of said supporting member; d. two transverse projections on each of the two longitudinal end portions of each supporting member,
 1. said projections extending from respective leg portions of said L-shape away from said edge and being angularly offset from each other,
 2. each of said receptacles being shaped for conformingly receiving one of said end portions and the projections thereon; and e. cooperating locking means on each of said projections and on each outer wall member responsive to insertion of each end portion and of the projections thereon in said receptacles for preventing unintentional disengagement of the inserted end portion from said receptacles.
 2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said face of said outer wall member is coextensive in said plane with each inserted end portion and with the two projections on said end portion, a part of each projection extending in said plane away from said edge beyond said face of said inner wall member, said part carrying the locking means associated with said projection.
 2. each of said receptacles being shaped for conformingly receiving one of said end portions and the projections thereon; and e. cooperating locking means on each of said projections and on each outer wall member responsive to insertion of each end portion and of the projections thereon in said receptacles for preventing unintentional disengagement of the inserted end portion from said receptacles.
 2. an inner wall member of substantially L-shaped cross section in said plane, said wall members having respective, spacedly opposite faces bounding said receptacle therebetween; c. a plurality of identical, elongated supporting members,
 3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said face of said outEr wall member is formed with a recess therein, said recess being substantially L-shaped in said plane and constituting a portion of said receptacle, said recess being coextensive in said plane with the two projections on an inserted end portion and extending beyond said opposite face of the inner wall member in said plane in a direction away from said edge of the inserted end portion.
 4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said outer wall member has an end face perpendicular to said plane and bounding said recess in said direction.
 5. An assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein a part of each projection received in said recess extends beyond said opposite face of the inner wall member in a direction away from said edge of the inserted end portion, and said part carries the locking means associated with said projection.
 6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said part and said outer wall member have contiguously adjacent face portions in said recess, said locking means including a cam member on one face portion and a recess in the other face portion receiving said cam member in the operative condition of said locking means.
 7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said part consists of resilient material.
 8. An assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said supporting members and said projections are of plate material, each projection and the associated leg portion extending in a common plane. 